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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: race · fan · hide · shower · face · bass · mouse · arm

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. face — part of the head
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. face — to confront
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. bass — low music
  13. shower — to wash
  14. race — the arms race
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bass — the fish
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. face — to point toward
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. race — a contest
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. race — humankind
  24. shower — rain

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com